The present invention relates to hearing devices for aiding the hearing impaired and the profoundly deaf, and more particularly to a dual purpose connector system providing an attachment system for both a standard earhook and for a special earhook, which special earhook includes auxiliary accessory electrical connection capabilities. The connector system of the present invention is useful for both conventional hearing aids and for cochlear stimulation systems employing Behind-The-Ear (BTE) speech processors.
Implantable Cochlear Stimulation (ICS) systems are known in the art. Such systems are used to help the profoundly deaf (those whose middle and/or outer ear is dysfunctional, but whose auditory nerve remains intact) to hear. The sensation of hearing is achieved by directly exciting the auditory nerve with controlled impulses of electrical current, which impulses are generated as a function of perceived audio sounds. The audio sounds are picked up by a microphone carried externally (not implanted) by the deaf person and converted to electrical signals. The electrical signals, in turn, are processed and conditioned by a Wearable Signal Receiver and Processor (WP) in an appropriate manner, e.g., converted to a sequence of pulses of varying width and/or amplitude, and then transmitted to an implanted receiver circuit of the ICS system. The implanted receiver circuit generates electrical current as a function of the processed signal it receives from the WP (which in turn is based on the audio sounds picked up by the external microphone). The implanted receiver circuit is connected to an implantable electrode array that has been inserted into the cochlea of the inner ear. The electrical current generated by the implanted receiver circuit is applied to individual electrode pairs of the electrode array. It is this electrical current which directly stimulates the auditory nerve and provides the user with the sensation of hearing.
While known ICS systems have succeeded in providing hearing to the deaf, ICS systems also have the disadvantage of appearing unsightly. ICS systems include an external headpiece positioned on the side of the user""s head, and require an external cable running from the external headpiece to the WP. The WP is typically worn or carried by the user on a belt or in a pocket. While the WP is not too large, it is likewise not extremely small, and hence also represents an inconvenience for the user. The cable which connects the WP with the headpiece is particularly a source of irritation and self-consciousness for the user.
The above-described aesthetic considerations and inconvenience of an external wire are addressed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,022, issued Oct. 20, 1998, for xe2x80x9cCochlear Stimulation System Employing Behind-The-Ear (BTE) Speech Processor With Remote Control.xe2x80x9d The ""022 patent teaches a small single external device that performs the functions of both the WP and the headpiece. The external device is positioned behind the ear to minimize its visibility, and requires no cabling to additional components. The ""022 patent is incorporated herein by reference.
While the BTE device taught by the ""022 patent resolves the issues of aesthetics and inconvenience, the resulting device leaves little space to provide connectors for auxiliary devices. Typically, users of hearing aids and cochlear implants have requirements to attach a variety of auxiliary devices to augment the basic hearing function. These devices include: telecoils, auxiliary microphones, FM receivers, audio jacks, etc. There is therefore a need to provide a means to reliably and detachably connect an auxiliary device to a BTE device, that does not add size or weight to the BTE device.
The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a connector system for Behind-The-Ear (BTE) hearing devices. The connector system serves as an attachment system for both standard earhooks and for special earhooks, and provides an electrical connection system for auxiliary devices. The connector system comprises a coaxial connector on the BTE device and an auxiliary connector on an earhook. The auxiliary connector on the earhook screws onto the coaxial connector, thus mounting the earhook to the BTE device. The connection of the auxiliary connector to the coaxial connector further provides an electrical connection for a variety of auxiliary devices. The connector system may be utilized as part of either a hearing aid system or a Behind-The-Ear (BTE) speech processor of a cochlear stimulation system.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a threaded coaxial connector protruding from the body of a BTE device for the connection of an earhook. Various sizes and shapes of earhooks are required to comfortably fit a BTE device to a particular user. The connector system of the present invention provides a means to easily attach and remove various earhooks. Advantageously, the threads of the threaded coaxial connector accept either a standard earhook or a special earhook.
It is a further feature of the invention to provide an electrical connector for a variety of auxiliary devices. Such devices include: telecoils, auxiliary microphones, FM receivers, audio jacks, etc. Because the BTE device is small and has limited surface area available for connectors, an appropriate type of connector must be used. An unprotected male connector, for example, would create a risk of snagging on hair and other objects. A female connector would reduce the interior volume of the BTE device available for BTE electronics. Either connector type would result in an unsightly feature on the BTE case. Advantageously, incorporating the auxiliary device electrical connector into the earhook attachment fixture alleviates the need for a separate connector.
It is a further feature of the invention to provide an electrical connector for a variety of auxiliary devices. Such devices include: telecoils, auxiliary microphones, FM receivers, audio jacks, etc. Because the BTE device is small and has limited surface area available for connectors, an appropriate type of connector must be used. An unprotected male connector, for example, would create a risk of snagging on hair and other objects. A female connector would reduce the interior volume of the BTE device available for BTE electronics. Either connector type would result in an unsightly feature on the BTE case. Advantageously, incorporating the auxiliary device electrical connector into the earhook attachment fixture alleviates the need for a separate connector.
It is an additional feature of the invention to provide a natural location for a telecoil. A telecoil, as is known in the art, cooperates with a transmitting coil in a telephone handset to provide a received telephone signal directly to a BTE device. The location of the transmitting coil is generally in the speaker end of the telephone handset. Through the use of a special earhook connectable to the BTE in accordance with the present invention, the telecoil may be positioned in front of the ear and therefore proximal to the transmitting coil in the handset.
Another feature of the invention is that an auxiliary microphone may be positioned proximal to the ear canal. The shape of the ear provides frequency coloring of sound that varies due to the direction the sound arrives from. The frequency coloring enables the brain to determine the direction of sound arrival. By placing an auxiliary microphone near or within the ear canal, the frequency coloring performed by the ear may be exploited and the user may perceive the direction of the sound.
A further feature of the invention is that an FM receiver may be built into an earhook to provide the reception of FM radio signals. FM links are a known method of providing a signal from a remote device to a BTE device, as described in detail in the ""022 patent referenced above. Such remote devices include a remote microphone that may be placed near a lecturer for better reception of speech. Placement of the FM receiver in the earhook provides greater freedom in designing the receiver, and isolation from electronics within the BTE device.
A further feature provided by the invention is that auxiliary devices contained in the special earhook are located in front of the ear, and thereby provide better weight distribution than when the auxiliary devices are attached directly to the BTE.